The Parish Registers Of St Marys Bocking Essex 1561-1639

Unlock the Doors to St Mary's, Bocking: Your Ancestors' Stories from Elizabethan England

Step back in time to the heart of rural Essex and walk in the footsteps of your forebears. The Parish Registers of St Mary's, Bocking, Essex (1561-1639) is an indispensable resource for any family historian with roots in this historic corner of England. This meticulously transcribed volume preserves the vital records of a community living through one of the most transformative periods in British history—from the golden age of Elizabeth I to the dawn of the English Civil War.

Within these pages, you won't just find names and dates; you'll uncover the very fabric of life, love, and loss in a 16th and 17th-century village. Trace your family line through baptisms, witness the unions of generations in marriages, and honour the memory of those laid to rest in burials. This is more than a book; it's a direct link to the people who shaped your heritage.

A Parish of Historical Significance & Famous Connections
Bocking was no ordinary parish. During this period, it was a noted centre for Puritanism and religious nonconformity, a hotbed of intellectual and spiritual fervour that would see many of its residents depart for the New World in search of religious freedom. The registers you explore are the same ones that recorded the lives of these influential families.

Most famously, these registers likely contain the earliest records of the ancestors of the Courtauld family. Before they became global silk magnates and philanthropists, the Courtaulds were humble residents of Bocking. This is your chance to discover the very first generations of the family that would one day build an industrial empire and leave an indelible mark on British art and society. You may find the baptism of a future great-grandfather of a baronet or the marriage that solidified their place in the community.

Furthermore, many of the entries in the early 1600s would have been performed by the notable Reverend Thomas Harper, a learned and staunch Puritan rector of Bocking. His influence on the parish and its people was profound, and his name is synonymous with the religious character of the town during this era.

What You'll Discover Inside:

Baptisms (1561-1639): Discover the names of children born in Bocking, often with the crucial detail of their father's name, allowing you to build your family tree back generation by generation.
Marriages (1561-1639): Find the marriage records of your ancestors, joining two family lines and revealing the names of both bride and groom.
Burials (1639-1639): Locate the final resting place of your relatives, with dates that can help confirm lifespans and narrow down research windows.

Invaluable Context: Many published transcripts include an introduction that sheds light on the history of the parish, notable clergy, and the condition of the original records.
Comprehensive Indexes: Easily search for your surnames of interest with full indexes, saving you countless hours of painstaking research.

Essential for Your Genealogy Library:
Whether you are a seasoned genealogist seeking to break down a "brick wall," a local historian exploring the story of Braintree District, or someone taking their first steps into their family's past, this volume is a must-have. It is the definitive primary source for anyone researching ancestors from Bocking during the Tudor and Stuart periods.